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Review of The Resilient Gardener: Food Production and Self-Reliance in Uncertain Times – Including the Five Crops You Need to Survive and Thrive – Potatoes, Corn, Beans, Squash, and Eggs by Carol Deppe

Coverage: Self-reliant gardening

Date: 2010

ISBN: 9781603580311

Pages: 323 including index

I have mixed views on this book. On one hand, what it covers is covered quite well, but on the other hand, it’s one of those “I have a system and you need to follow it” type books – where the author has a one-size-fits-all system and attempts to convert you to their view of things. I’m by nature a very contrary person (my husband calls is “mulish” and “stubborn”!) and I tend to look at these types of books with a very jaundiced eye.

That said – there is a lot to like about this book. If you like the “system” being sold here, it’ll be perfect for you. But … if you don’t say … like squash (I don’t) then the whole system is a bit of a … non-solution. But there are enough bits of useful information in it for me that I didn’t regret getting it from the library – and I even took some notes and will be using some of the information provided, especially the chart giving optimal storage conditions and shelf-lives of a great variety of produce. The notes and references for each chapter have a number of useful sources also, and the appendix listing seed sources is handy.

My recommendation is to check this out of a library or through interlibrary loan first before purchasing – to see if you find its system worth subscribing to. I didn’t, but you might. Its certainly not a book for a beginner gardener or someone not interested in an entire survival gardening system.